Budget: Housing, Food, Transportation, Child care, Health care, Taxes, Insurances, supplies (school, household, personal care).

It is clear that even in the best of economic times, many parents in low-wage jobs will not earn enough through work to meet basic family needs. A full-time, full-year worker paid $7.25 per hour (the minimum wage) will earn about $15,080 a year before taxes (DOL 2009). This is below the federal poverty line of $15,825 for a single parent with one child -- and far below the income necessary for such a family to attain a secure living standard even in the least expensive family budget area... which stands at $35,132 for that family type in Simpson County, Miss.